


Sunset, a Seven Letter Word for a Bright Beginning

by Mo-Mouse (abyssmalDeath)



Series: McReyes Week 2016 [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Car Accidents, Character Death, Crossword Puzzles, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-01 21:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8638912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abyssmalDeath/pseuds/Mo-Mouse
Summary: Jesse does a crossword puzzle and Gabriel helps him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This probably seems rushed and disorganized but I gotta tell ya...it was kind of fun to write! Anyways, enjoy~!

“What’s a seven letter word for a bright beginning?” Jesse tapped his lower lip with the eraser end of his pencil, frowning a little as he stared at the black and white boxes littering the page before him. He had been at this for at least half an hour now, sitting with Gabriel’s head pillowed on his belly as the former Blackwatch commander tried to catch an afternoon nap. He heard a muffled sigh before warm, gun-calloused fingers were grasping at his free hand. 

“The whole point of a nap, Jesse, is to actually sleep. I can’t do that if you keep asking me about your stupid puzzle every five seconds.” A pointed glare is thrown his way before there’s another sigh. “Sunrise. It’s got seven letters, and it marks the beginning of a new day.” Gabriel finally concedes, pulling Jesse’s hand close to his face before pressing a few tender kisses to his knuckles. The cowboy chuckled, allowing it before pulling his hand free to write in the answer. 

“Go ahead and take your nap,  _ cariño _ . I’ll be here when you wake up.” Jesse hunches over and presses a gentle kiss to his forehead before sitting back up, lightly running his fingers through Gabe’s curls. True to his word, Jesse stays under Gabriel until the older man stirs, jolting awake from a nightmare and clinging desperately to Jesse. 

“Jesse? Shit. I’m okay. You’re okay,” he wheezed, half to himself as he pulled Jesse closer. These nightmares were a recurring thing, often enough to make the cowboy wonder how his lover got any rest. Upon closer inspection, the dark circles under Gabriel’s eyes were a lot easier to distinguish and a pang of worry went through him. 

“Gabriel--”

“Don’t, I’m fine.” The familiar cold shoulder of a commander is slipped into place as Gabe gets up, smoothing his hair down before scooping up his beanie. He leaves without another word, and Jesse knows better than to chase down Gabe when he wants to be alone. Knowing him, the former commander was headed towards one of his secluded areas to smoke off the nightmare. He’d return home soon, Jesse knew he didn’t have a reason to worry. He couldn’t shake the weird feeling in his gut that he was wrong, though.

\---

It was getting late, and Gabriel still hadn’t returned home when Jesse’s phone started ringing. He was almost hesitant to answer a phone call so late at night, but something had him picking up the phone before he even really thought about it. 

“McCree here.” His voice is gruff, laced with worry and sleep. The unease in his stomach solidifies to dread as the clean-cut voice on the other end of the phone speaks up.

“Mr. McCree, you have been listed as the emergency contact for Mr. Gabriel Reyes. I am calling from Saint Vincent Hospital. Mr. Reyes has been involved in a hit-and-run accident and--”

“Is he all right? Is he gonna live?” Jesse’s hurriedly pulling on clothes now, keeping the phone pressed between his shoulder and his ear as he yanks his pants up and does up his belt. He’s in the car before he gets a response. 

“He is stable, but I would prepare for the worst, Mr. McCree.” The line goes dead and Jesse starts to feel constricted. It takes him two tries to start the car, too distressed to watch for the speed limit as he drives. He needs to see Gabriel. He needs to hold him and make sure he’s okay. 

\---

“What’s a four-letter word for a wish?” Jesse is met with silence, apart from the steady beeping measuring Gabriel’s life. He’s been sitting next to the hospital bed for two days now, and the former commander hasn’t even twitched a finger. Jesse was losing hope. Hope. 

“Hope. A four letter word for a wish.” He pauses, taking a shuddering breath. “Gabe, please, I can’t do this without you.” He didn’t just mean his crossword puzzle. He’d been under the commander’s wing since he was seventeen. He had saved his life. Now, twenty years down the road, he didn’t know what he was going to do if Gabriel didn’t wake up. Closing up his puzzle book, Jesse pulls himself to his feet and leans over, pressing a small kiss to Gabriel’s cheek. He was so cold. 

“Don’t go anywhere now, darlin’. I’m just goin’ to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee.” He murmurs, stroking his cheek lightly before standing and, reluctantly, pulling himself away from Gabe’s side. 

\---

“Mr. McCree, you have to stay outside while the doctors work. We are doing everything we can for him, I’m sorry.” The nurse has her hand on Jesse’s shoulder, but he can’t feel it. All he can feel is the gaping hole that opens up in his core at the words. Gabe’s condition had worsened. He shakes his head, at first in disbelief, then in complete denial. 

“No, no that ain’t right that can’t-- he can’t die!” He jerked his shoulder away from the nurse, barging past her into the room. “Gabriel! Wake up, please!” he yelled, struggling against the orderlies who were trying to push him out of the room. He was met with silence. The last thing he heard before being pulled out of the room was the sound of Gabriel’s heartbeat falling flat. He dropped to his knees outside of the room, staring at the door in horror. 

“Six letter word for the end...” he whispered, thinking of the last clue of his crossword puzzle. A warm hand on his shoulder made him jump and whirl, reaching for a gun that was no longer there. Glassy blue eyes and a grim expression met his own. 

  
“Sunset. I’m sorry, kid.” Jack Morrison knelt beside the cowboy, pulling him into a hug as they mourned the loss of another great soldier.

**Author's Note:**

> ...domestic can be angsty, right?  
>  Hope you enjoyed that! As always you can find me on tumblr:
> 
> [Mo-Mouse](http://mo-mouse.tumblr.com)   
>  [Elizaren](http://elizarenot.tumblr.com)


End file.
